Spectrum may be available for communication nodes and operators of such nodes in both unlicensed bands and lightly licensed bands. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conceived the license-exempt bands (e.g., unlicensed bands) to provide a portion of public access spectrum at no licensed cost.
The FCC has also established the lightly licensed bands in which licensees may pay a small fee for a nationwide, non-exclusive license for certain public access spectrum. Those that take such licenses may then pay an additional nominal fee for each node that may deployed. Such client nodes may be fixed or mobile. Neither the nodes nor their operators may require an additional license.